The audit will continue to be commissioned by the Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership, on behalf of NHS England and the Welsh Government and as part of the National Clinical Audit and Patient Outcomes Programme (NCAPOP).

Over the next six months, Professor Iain Hutchison, CEO of Saving Faces and the Clinical Lead for HANA will visit each Head and Neck Cancer NHS MDT in England and Wales to describe the vision for the new audit, answer questions, gain feedback and clarify logistical arrangements for participation.

The audit will assess various aspects of patient care including:

Structures – such as the availability of on-call consultants to deal with postoperative problems

Processes – such as whether a mouth cancer operation took place on the planned date

Outcomes – such as the number of cancer patients who remain disease free for five years

Professor Iain Hutchison, chief executive and founder of Saving Faces, who will provide the clinical leadership for HANA, said: “We are delighted to have been awarded the contract. The findings from HANA will contribute to changes in clinical practice and ensure that patients receive the best care possible and experience an improved quality of life.